The Big Bad Guide to Freelancer.com

Freelancer.com is where over 13 million freelancers and employers from everywhere in the world connect. It is the world’s largest freelancing, outsourcing, and crowdsourcing marketplace by number of users and projects. Employers post jobs, freelancers bid on them, and work gets done.

If you’re looking for work, you can join the site as a freelancer. Everyday, employers post thousands of projects on the site for freelancers to bid on. If you are looking to hire people for work, you can join the site as an employer. You’ll get access to millions of resumes and portfolios in an instant, and you’ll find a freelancer in no time.

Freelancer.com is a big place, and can be quite daunting for first-timers. This guide has everything you need to know so you can start getting work done.

Getting Started

The first order of business on Freelancer.com is to get an account. Posted projects are open for the public to see, but you need an account to bid on projects or post projects. Signing up is easy – you may choose to sign up with your Facebook account, or you can sign up with your email account. Just enter a username and password, verify your email account, and you’re good to go.

Once you have an account, make sure you take the time to fill out your profile page. If you’re a freelancer, you should complete your profile page and increase your chances of getting picked for jobs by uploading a photo, resume, and a portfolio. If you’re an employer, build up your employer reputation by posting some information about you or your company.

Posting and Bidding on Jobs

Once you have a complete profile, you can start bidding or posting on projects. Employers only need to click ‘Post Project‘ then type in the project information, provide a detailed job description, specify any skills needed, and set a budget. Each project page will show a list of bidders that employers can choose from, with freelancer ratings and bid amounts available at a glance. Freelancers can browse through the various project categories on the site, find jobs with skills and experience that match, and click ‘Bid on This Project’ to apply.

Posting and Joining Contests

Contests provide an easy way to get work done fast. With it, employers get to crowdsource ideas and gain entries in a matter of minutes. Freelancers get opportunities to earn just as fast. The only thing they have to do is choose what kind of contests they want to join.

Contest pages are like the project pages. Each one has a contest brief, shows the prize money, and has a list of all the entries. You can post or join a contest over at the Contests page.

Sending and Receiving Payments

Every Freelancer.com account is capable of both receiving and sending payments. It can accept funds as payments from other members, as well as other sources such as online payment services like Paypal and MoneyBookers, bank wire transfers, or credit cards. Withdrawal transfers happen every week. Minimal fees are deducted for some types of transfers, and fees for commissions, project fees, and upgrades, among other things, are also deducted from the user’s account when needed.

The Financial Dashboard shows all your transactions and earnings, profit and loss. This is the part of the site where you process milestone payments, generate invoices, transfer funds, and do withdrawals. It provides you with your very own financial statements so you can always keep track of your money.

Milestone Payments

Users can arrange milestone payments for every project. It’s a highly recommended, optional free service that helps keep users safe from scams. With milestone payments, employers can set an amount to pay a freelancer for a milestone while a project is ongoing. Users can agree on what the milestone should be (halfway through the project, after the first phase of one, and such) and how much the initial payment for it would be.

Milestone payments give freelancers the assurance that the employers are willing to pay for the project. At the same time, employers also feel more secure, being able to see the freelancers’ work in advance. This helps users avoid unscrupulous characters, and also allows access the site’s Dispute Resolution System – another safety feature.

Building a Reputation

Having a good reputation at Freelancer.com is important, whether you’re a freelancer or an employer. The site lets freelancers and employers rate each other and leave comments regarding performance. Freelancers with good ratings are in better position to be awarded bids, while employers with good ratings tend to get quality bids.

The feedback and ratings system goes on as soon as a project or contest is completed and payment has been turned over. The peer reviews keeps users away from fraudulent transactions and helps everyone avoid scams.

Getting Support

There is a support team that’s always ready to assist you with any concerns you may have on the site. You can send in a ticket or chat live with a support agent by accessing the Support page.

Whether you’re a freelancer or an employer, you’ll find that you have a ton of opportunities at Freelancer.com. Get an account today!

I'm a professional wordsmith. I watch over content at Freelancer.com. I used to edit technology and fashion magazines in a past life. I'm a toy nerd, a lipstick fiend, a foodie, and a Magic: The Gathering noob. During my off-hours, I read books, listen to rock music, and document everything in pictures.